Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Maine
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 11-19-2009, 11:50 AM
 
Location: 43.55N 69.58W
3,231 posts, read 7,429,376 times
Reputation: 2989

Advertisements

Quote:
Originally Posted by tcrackly View Post
Other than my own problem with dragnet fishing (my husband grew up in old fishing villages Downeast that once depended mostly on hand lining ) I would think that just a better TOOL would be a solution. Something that grabs the fish for removal without gutting it at the same time. I get the impression that the motivation is just not there to rethink that issue. Makes me think that the OP's blackfish and others might be in more danger than we realize.
I think most of the catch is lost once they hit the deck and sit there out of water while the pile is picked is what actually kills the fish. As well, the gov't hasn't really inspired them to be more motivated to invent another tool. The fisherman's resources (and income) are pretty limited. We all know and understand the need for govt regs and preservation, the gov't has never set foot aboard a dragger to actually see the process enough to understand the issue. As far as Blackfish, I read the pdf I found on google about them being in Maine. I just can't find any salt water fishermen out there that know of them. I have to wonder, endangered or just recently migrated to Maine?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 11-19-2009, 05:33 PM
 
Location: Way South of the Volvo Line
2,788 posts, read 7,984,468 times
Reputation: 2845
I grew up fishing for cod and flounder from the docks around Boston. Knowing what I know now about the toxins and filth in the waters back then I figure I can eat damn near anything out of the sea!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-19-2009, 07:56 PM
JC3
 
296 posts, read 820,199 times
Reputation: 355
I have surf fished Maine, Nh, Mass, Ct....no RI. I have never heard of anyone catching tautog. That isn't to say they aren't here but isn't a species I hear anyone acutally targeting.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-19-2009, 08:20 PM
 
1,064 posts, read 2,022,150 times
Reputation: 465
Quote:
Originally Posted by JC3 View Post
I have surf fished Maine, Nh, Mass, Ct....no RI. I have never heard of anyone catching tautog. That isn't to say they aren't here but isn't a species I hear anyone acutally targeting.
Down here the bait we use for them is either fiddler crabs used whole or green crabs cut in half (after removing all appendages).

Blackfish are very tricky to hook--the first few times I went for them, I never felt a thing, yet whenever I pulled up my line with the bait gone.

But then when you finally do hook one, if he's big it feels like you snagged the bottom.

Most of the ones I caught were between five and seven pounds, but fishing from my boat, my cousing caught one that had to be over twenty pounds--possibly 25 pounds (as blackfish go, that's like catching a 50lb striper); the things head was the size of a person's and its mouth looked just about big enough to put my fist in.

Long story, but we finally docked and finished up cleaning the boat and catch around 4am, after 22 hours on the water and being awake longer than that--we were slightly hypothermic (this was in late October) and must not have been thinking straight because I filleted the thing with the rest of the catch.

To this day I wished we had driven to the local tackle shop, slept in the car in the parking lot for a an hour or so until the shop opened up: we would have had the fish officially weighed, and I'm sure have had our pictures in the fishing magazine.

Oh well, the fish was good eating at least.

The best fishing grounds for them are where there are a lot of botttom obstructions, locations that fishermen might otherwise avoid because of all the lost rigs from snags.

I'm surprised though--I would think if you have them in Maine, you'd be fishing for them.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-20-2009, 10:13 AM
JC3
 
296 posts, read 820,199 times
Reputation: 355
Outdoornut....I probably haven't heard much about them being caught because the majority of my fishing has been from the surf. Most of my boat fishing has been for cod or haddock. Never tried crabs for bait. Have caught an occasional flounder from the shore but not often. Sounds like they hang where I don't. lol!! There are some good forums about New England fishing that may have more info about them around this area. Sounds like they might be fun.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-20-2009, 01:09 PM
 
8,767 posts, read 18,568,663 times
Reputation: 3525
Quote:
Originally Posted by island mermaid View Post
I think most of the catch is lost once they hit the deck and sit there out of water while the pile is picked is what actually kills the fish. As well, the gov't hasn't really inspired them to be more motivated to invent another tool. The fisherman's resources (and income) are pretty limited. We all know and understand the need for govt regs and preservation, the gov't has never set foot aboard a dragger to actually see the process enough to understand the issue. As far as Blackfish, I read the pdf I found on google about them being in Maine. I just can't find any salt water fishermen out there that know of them. I have to wonder, endangered or just recently migrated to Maine?
I asked about them at the fish market today when I picked up the haddock for our Amvets dinner. They had never heard of them either. They must be rare around here. I'll ask my fishing nut friend later today.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-20-2009, 02:07 PM
 
1,064 posts, read 2,022,150 times
Reputation: 465
Quote:
Originally Posted by JC3 View Post
Outdoornut....I probably haven't heard much about them being caught because the majority of my fishing has been from the surf. Most of my boat fishing has been for cod or haddock. Never tried crabs for bait. Have caught an occasional flounder from the shore but not often. Sounds like they hang where I don't. lol!! There are some good forums about New England fishing that may have more info about them around this area. Sounds like they might be fun.
People do surfish for blackfish on Long Island, New York--or at least they used to (I tried it back in the 1970s without success, but I was a novice at it and also the good fishing for most species in Long Island, New York, was dwindling by then).
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-20-2009, 02:11 PM
 
1,064 posts, read 2,022,150 times
Reputation: 465
Quote:
Originally Posted by JC3 View Post
Sounds like they might be fun.
I just remembered, one of the reasons I so enjoyed fishing for them, is that late in the year, they were still around long after other fish were gone.

My last trip for them from my boat in Long Island Sound (New York) would be the last week of November (often coinciding with the Thanksgiving Holiday), and I almost always came back with fish.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-20-2009, 02:15 PM
 
1,064 posts, read 2,022,150 times
Reputation: 465
Quote:
Originally Posted by Maineah View Post
I asked about them at the fish market today when I picked up the haddock for our Amvets dinner. They had never heard of them either. They must be rare around here. I'll ask my fishing nut friend later today.
Here's a chapter from an old book online about fishing for them: The Black Fish
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-20-2009, 06:59 PM
 
Location: 43.55N 69.58W
3,231 posts, read 7,429,376 times
Reputation: 2989
Quote:
Originally Posted by OutDoorNut View Post
Here's a chapter from an old book online about fishing for them: The Black Fish

Great link, very informative however I'm still sticking by my guns. Not commonly found in Maine.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Maine
View detailed profiles of:

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top